Pokemon: The Path to the 3DS

Back in 2004, when the DS was being prepared to come out, it was looked down upon by the cynics as an underdog. Boy, did it need to prove its staying power. It needed to prove it was a worthy successor to the Game Boy Advance. It needed...Pokemon.

Once Pokemon Diamond and Pearl were announced late that year, we were left with a crushing two year wait before we learned many things about the game, and ultimately there release. In the meantime, to ease the long gap between main RPG releases, gamers were provided with an array of spin-off entries in the franchise. This was no doubt a business move as much as a creative one to pass the time.

Nintendo and The Pokemon Company wanted to test the waters of the DS marketplace. Who was buying the system and the games, and how many units could they sell of their games? The DS was not a sure bet back nine years ago.

The DS earned the birthright of games like Pokemon Dash, Trozei, Mystery Dungeon Blue, and Pokemon Ranger. And they came out over a span of two years. Give props to their developers, for each one was a unique experience. They spanned different genres, including racing, dungeon crawler, puzzle, and action RPG.

It was just enough (re: just) to sate our appetites while waiting on the first dual-screen Pokemon RPGs.

Now, with Pokemon X and Y announced, it's easy to forget any other presence of the Pokemon franchise on 3DS. But, it too has mirrored the pattern of the DS's Diamond and Pearl pre-release. Albeit at a much slower rate. Let's reflect on what we should be grateful we do have. For there is stuff available right now.

Pokedex 3D (June 2011)- When the 3DS eShop launched the day before Nintendo's E3 presser, so too did the first bit of freeware on the eShop. Pokedex 3D was a digial Pokedex, featuring splendiferous polygon models of the 5th gen Pokemon from Black and White Versions. You could spin around and look at animations and statistics of 16 starter entries like Snivy, Emolga, Audino, and the rest. It should be noted that this is no longer available to purchase on the eShop.

The program came with a few fun quirks to justify it's existence on the digital store. First, with the power of augmented reality, you could scan AR markers to take pictures of the Pokemon in real life settings. And, you were challenged to complete all these blank entries in the 'dex by using both local wireless and SpotPass.

Pokemon Rumble Blast (October 2011)- For the longest time, this has been the only full release for Pokemon on the 3DS. And not necessarily one everyone wanted. A sequel to the WiiWare's Pokemon Rumble, Blast is once again a brawler set among many stages and arenas. It expanded its playable roster to include absolutely all Pokemon (except for the three 5th gen event Pokemon). You could even StreetPass with other players and go head-to-head in local multiplayer. And you do it all in stereoscopic 3D.

Pokemon Dream Radar (October 2012)- Yep, Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 were not released as 3DS games. We've done enough complaining about that. But, TPC and Nintendo had a brilliant tactic to encourage players to play them on the 3DS. Enter Dream Radar, an augmented reality shooter where you capture Pokemon seen through the eyes of the 3DS' cameras. This app proved essential to hardcore players, as it is the only way to legitimately capture alternate forms of the Kami Pokemon Trio (Landorus, Thundurus, Tornadus). You can then import them into the DS games, a very clever integration.

Pokedex 3D Pro (November 2012)- The sequel to the original, now-unavailable Pokedex 3D, it's hook is featuring all 649 Pokemon up to Black 2 and White 2 (including all there forms). Similar in style to the original, it also included quizzes to test your Pokemon knowledge. And unlike the original, there's a price put on the head of this eShop download, to the tune of $15. Yes, fifteen smackers.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity (March 2013)- Japan has this one already, but we in the States have to wait a little longer. The newest entry in the Mystery Dungeon series, the first since 2009, is a major leap in presentation compared to the DS predecessors. It is fully-3D and gorgeous, using the same character models from Pokedex 3D Pro. The interesting thing about this PMD is the much smaller pool of playable Pokemon. In fact, you always play as one: Pikachu. And the only partner options are the Unova starters and Axew. It looks otherwise like the same dungeon crawling we loved forever on the DS, with AR features and snazzy cutscenes among other things.

The wait for X and Y will be a long and arduous one for the rest of 2013. But the franchise has already established its presence on the 3DS, so we can all get our fix on those. And, if you don't like 'em, you an just go play the main series games already out. Go play with your White 2!